Make more Sound
by InsaneDutchGirl
Summary: When three brothers become a quartet they never thought they would end up in this mess. But when a history comes to light they know they need to help their new member overcoming his past and help him to prevent the future. Human Au. Mikey-centric. Mentions the subject of sexual assault.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so I found this idea worked out a bit in one of my old notebooks and saw it was about four brothers with sort of the same personality traits as the turtles. So with a bit of altering and everything I guess this can become a pretty story. I never finished it though so we'll see what I can do with it. **

**Anyways, this story has some stuff going on which I think the correct term for is AU. So we have the three eldest brothers who are all human and Mikey not being related to them. How he comes to live with them and all will be explained in the story. The first chapter might also be very confusing but that's sorta what I'm aiming for here so please be patient. **

**Enjoy!**

**Prologue: Lapis Lazuli**

I have never stopped wondering about those bright baby blues. They haven't always been like this, they didn't always shine like this. But over the years they have changed and I have always been proud of that accomplishment. They sometimes remind me of lapis lazuli, the blue gemstone which stands for honour and the truth. Two traits which are valued immensely in our family.

Tonight, however, those beautiful eyes are blazingly burning holes through my own dark blue ones with a desperation and anguish that frightens me.

It isn't right to see him like this. There are tears in the corners of his eyes which I'm not used to. I think I can count all the times I've seen him cry just on my two hands. I know that is because he always kept so much to himself all these years, refusing to speak to any of us. But the fact that he displays his vulnerability instead of hiding it like he did before, only proves to me that this is more important than I could ever imagine a young child could be bothered with.

"Please Leo, please," he begs me, his hands clasped together as if in prayer.

I want to say 'yes' desperately just to see him a bit happier again. To see that smile of his once again and chuckle about his crazy antics. For him to be like he should be, like he deserves to be. And that's the reason why I can't give into his wish. It'll only hurt him in the end, I know it.

"Why would you want to go back?" My immediate younger brother asks, obviously taking my side.

Again the blue eyes change, this time a small glimmer of betrayal crossing through them. He has always been closest to Raph and those two back each other up in every argument we have. That doesn't change though, that my hotheaded brother is very protective of the boy. He cares about his well-being first, just like we all do.

"You've told us hundreds of times that you never wanted to see her again," my youngest brother adds while pushing his glasses a bit higher up on his nose which even I have to admit is a bit nerdy. "You've never talked about her, we don't even know her name!"

I understand Donnie's confusion. When the news was brought to me I also was quite shocked. Ever since me and my brothers have made the stupid mistake by saying something about it, about _her, _we decided in an unspoken agreement that we would never speak about his past ever again. I could never have guessed then that he would bring this thing up all by himself. What I'm worried about is if I should be afraid for him, or proud that he finally is brave enough to face whatever it might have been that he had to go through.

"You don't get it, Donnie," he says. "I'm not doing this for her. I'm doing this for my possible, but still unborn, sibling or siblings!"

This shocks us all into silence. "Mikey…" I try, but my mouth feels dry and I choke on my own voice. What does he mean? I've never seen him this upset and at the same time… determined? Maybe we should go along with it. He's a smart boy and he deserves to make his own choices. On the other hand we only try to look out for him. He's never had someone to take on that particular job and therefore he isn't used to it. He needs the support.

Suddenly there is a voice again. Mikey's voice to be precise although I would never think it would be him if I wasn't standing right in front of him, hearing it with my own ears and seeing it with my own eyes.

"My father is out of jail, guys," the sentence being said so quietly it wouldn't even qualify as a whisper.

**So you guys like? I thought it would be fun to step out of my own confortzone and take on a human Au for fun. I've read a lot of them at least so there's enough examples on here. Anyways, read, review, favourite, follow, you know the drill.**

**See ya guys later!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's the next chapter on my new story. Strangely enough I have nothing to say really…. Weird. Okay so just enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: First Day**

I have always been a curious know-it-all, constantly looking for new knowledge and answers to the hundreds and thousands of questions I come across. You could say that because of that I have the answer to almost everything but that's not true. And that's because our best friend, the one we can almost call our own younger brother, is the biggest mystery to me. A puzzle I cannot solve, how hard I may try.

I know he's joyous, full of energy and with a big grin permanently plastered on his face. I also know he's very short for his age, he's a blonde, has freckles and the brightest eyes you can imagine. He's a junior on the same school Raph still goes to and Leo and I went to. His blood is o-negative (don't ask how I know that) and he's pretty smart when he isn't lost in one of his own daydreams.

What I don't know is who he is, from the inside I mean. How did he get the way he is? What had he seen, what does he think? And the biggest question of all: why doesn't he want to tell us? Why only say something now?

"My father is out of jail, guys."

The sentence keeps repeating itself over and over inside my head. What does this have to do with his dad? I didn't even know he had one. Well, of course he has one, everyone does, but he never mentioned a father-figure in his life and none of us has seen someone like that. Maybe he never talked about his mom but at least we knew of her existence. Raph has even seen her. His father is another story.

I watch sadly when Leo holds Mikey to his chest when the seventeen year-old starts to shake. No tears are falling but none of us doubts that Mikey is in serious pain. You can see it in his eyes.

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_It was the first day of school right after the summer holidays. Raph and I just celebrated our thirteenth birthday and Raph actually was in a good mood because today he got to show-off with the new sneakers he got as a present. _

_It was just the two of us. When Leo was still a freshman dad dropped us all of with his car. Now Leo's sixteen he offered to take us to middle school but Raph declined. He had decided we are too old to be brought to school and I knew we were capable enough to walk around New York ourselves. Not that Leo or dad liked it but we still got our way. I didn't know it then, but that decision of my hotheaded twin brother was the beginning of a crazy, new life for us. That day we walked across two kids who were fighting. _

"You thought you could get away with that? Now did ya?" The bully has dirty blond hair, wears a black Metallica t-shirt and blue jeans and shouts with a loud, rough voice. His green backpack is thrown to the side so he has both hands free to beat on the much smaller kid who is driven into the corner of the alley.

He looks similar to the older boy with the freckles but his hair is a lighter shade of blond. He also wears blue jeans but his t-shirt is much brighter because of a yellow colour mixed with blue. His backpack hangs on his back and presses against the alleyway wall.

Raph nudges me and points at the scene I'm already looking at. I nod at him, indicating that I see it, but don't say anything in case one of those kids might hear us.

When the first punch is thrown in the kid's direction I feel Raph tense up next to me. The boy doubles over and can't avoid the next fist aimed at his head.

I grab my brother's hand, knowing what he wants to do before he knows himself, but he squirms out of the grip quickly. A wicked smile forms on his face when he takes a few steps forward. I quietly wonder if he gets into this fight because he loves to fight or because he truly hates bullies. When he tackles the larger boy around the waist I figure it's a bit of both.

They roll around in the filthy alley and I inwardly wince at what dad's going to say about Raph's new sneakers coming back all dirty. Two adults hear the tumult and come to try and pry the boys off of each other.

Just when I want to step forward to somehow break my brother and the other kid up and help the adults, I see it. The small boy that got beaten up pretty bad keeps himself as small and unseen as possible while he scrambles to his feet and tries to get away. I guess he notices me looking at him because just before he turns around the corner, he stops.

His gaze is directed towards me and his eyes search mine. They are fogged up and grey. I expect tears from a child this young but no moisture falls. The only thing I can see in there is hurt, disbelief and a small flash of gratitude. He nods his head at me before disappearing into the crowd.

I'm a bit dumbstruck when I stare at his retreating backpack. I can't hear the shouting of Raph and the jerk behind me. Only when some lady who was just passing by touches my shoulder and asks me if I'm okay, I pull my shoulder loose and run through the masses of people whirling around like ants. Men and women push me away angrily, shouting things or just looking annoyed. I don't care. I need to find that kid. I try and jump up a few times but the child really is gone.

When I slowly make my way back to the alley I find my brother and his adversary shaking hands with the two adult men and the lady reprimanding them for their behaviour. I sigh a heavy sigh when I glance at my wrist watch and notice how we're going to be late at our first day too.

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When Mikey is calmed down a bit Leo directs him towards the couch, sitting him down. I go to the kitchen and fill a glass of water for him. Raph comes out of the bathroom at the same time I re-enter the living room and hands Mikey his medication. He puts them on his tongue and washes them away with the water I provided.

He's having meds for his anxiety attacks he has every once in a while. Especially after the outburst he just had it's better for him to take them a bit earlier. Often he has his pills just before he goes to bed.

Eventually we all sit on the couch and wait patiently for Mikey to tell us the story, this time much slower. He knows that he shouldn't talk when he isn't ready though. He needs to take his time and let the meds do their work first.

The silence gives me enough time to think. To think about that first day. Sometimes I wonder why Raph ever got caught up in that fight. Why I decided to stop and watch what was going on in that alley. Why I ran after that boy in the first place. Did I know how important he would become to me later on? I don't know. I just wish that we would have been their sooner. If I had known what I know now, I could've prevented so much. We were too late.

**So hope you guys liked this again. I'm in a very great hurry so I just cut it off here. See ya!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I know I should be updating my other stories too. But this one got me all hooked and excited so just deal with this if you can. And thanks for all the positive reviews so far. I'm glad you guys like it.**

**And just for your information, these are the ages I'm gonna use throughout the story. Just if you guys need them, but I'll also mention them in the story now and then. **

**Past: Mikey = 11, Raph/Donnie = 13, Leo = 16**

**Later: Mikey = 14, Raph/Donnie = 16, Leo = 19**

**Present: Mikey = 17, Raph/Donnie = 19, Leo = 22**

**You guys will know when 'later' is happening and the chapter I already did, with Donnie's flashback was past. Don't know if any of you think this is helpful or not. Otherwise it was a waste of my time yay :D**

**Okay, on with the story.**

**Chapter 2: chatter**

"C'mon kid, let's put you to bed," Raph says, wrapping his arm around an unresponsive Mikey. It's quite clear that he's too out of it to tell us anything else tonight. Worriedly I watch him being pulled away by my twin, docile as a lamb and a shiver wracking through his body occasionally. That's going to be a long night for all of us, I'm sure.

When they're both out of the small living room, I turn my head towards my eldest brother. He has the same brown hair me and Raph have but when he's frowning like this, the dark colour makes him all the more pale. I came to resent that worried look which seems to be a permanent feature on his face as of late. I remember when he wasn't so strung up all the time but I guess you can't blame him for that. Ever since dad passed away he's been stressing about the dojo, keeping up with the rent and us of course. There's no one else to do that for him. He was supposed to go to university after graduating high school three years ago but that's when dad got sick. Leo was our rock during that time, he still is. He took over the dojo so he could earn money for the family, even when the medical-bills sky-rocketed. And all the stuff he did for Mikey then…

I can't help myself and let a small smile form on my face. Our financial situation still isn't the best. We have borrowed money to keep up with the hospital's expenses when dad was ill and we still haven't been able to repay the loans. Especially with me going to university now, things get hard. But that doesn't change what we have. We've earned ourselves a new member to our family. And that crazy smile of Mikey's is worth a lot more than everything that's been taken from us. Except for dad of course but it was his time. We couldn't do anything about that as much as we wished we could.

"What are you thinking about, Donnie?"

I shrug, not really wanting to voice my thoughts and look up into my older brother's dark blue eyes. He's the only one of us with blue eyes. Raph and I have dad's light brown eyes, or golden as he liked to put it. Leo's are from our mother and when we were little that pained him a lot. Our mother has left our family. She was raised in Japan and her father was a man of honour and respect. He forbade our parents to marry each other but they did and went to America. After a couple of years our mother found living with the knowledge that she had brought shame onto her entire family too hard. She left our dad and never had contact with any of us after that. Raph and I were only a year and a half when that happened.

In our family we've come to hate the resemblance to her that Leo is cursed with but we never say a thing about it. It doesn't change who we are after all. Not even when it's not only the eyes that are an exact copy.

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_I hadn't seen the boy after the incident in the alley but the older kid, the bully, came around quite often. Raph had taken a liking to the kid although I didn't get how that was possible. His name's Casey and he was in the same class as Raph. Not mine, I skipped a grade and did was in the 8__th__ already. Anyways, apparently the fight was forgiven and forgotten. Raph took him on his word when Casey told him the boy he hit deserved it and the guys became friends. They were a lot alike in some aspects, so that was not a big surprise to me. Of course Raph doesn't beat up his brothers. Still I didn't like Casey even though he was quite nice to me and neither Leo nor dad seemed to be bothered by his presence. Because Casey always stayed at our home and Raph never went with him, we didn't know much of him. That is, until I met one of his brothers again._

"Raph, you're gonna be late _again_!" I shout through the apartment. For a second I can hear some rummaging but nothing else. For the umpteenth time I glance at my watch while I tap my foot out of displeasure. If he's going to be late, I'll be late too. Dad doesn't let us go alone on the streets, even in broad daylight.

I wait for another minute or two before I decide I've waited long enough. I grab my back of the floor and push the door open. I walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator so dad won't notice I've left. When I open the door of our apartment building I feel a strange tingling inside my stomach. I've never done something to break my father's rules. It's kind of exciting.

When I'm already getting close to school I see a little kid hurrying along the streets. A kid I recognize. He isn't off that far and because of the masses of humans walking every which way he doesn't go that fast. I run up to him and place a hand on his shoulder. The jerk is harsh and has me stumble back a few steps. His frightened greyish-blue eyes search an evil in mine which isn't there. His posture doesn't relax in the slightest when I put my hands up in a disarming way, telling him I mean him no harm. I didn't expect a reaction like this. Maybe I should. He got beaten up by his own brother after all.

"Who are you?" he asks me, his distrustful voice sounding a lot like mine when Raph tells me I have to come with him so he can show me something 'cool'.

"You don't remember?" I ask him a little disappointed although I'm not sure why. "You had been fighting in that alley some time ago, right? My brother helped you out then. I wanted to know if you were alright but when I went to ask you, you disappeared."

His eyes quickly scan me over, resting on my face to decide if I'm speaking the truth or not. He seems surprised by what he finds and stands a bit more upright, his stance being less like that of a sprinter ready for a world-record.

"That wasn't me," he suddenly answers, his voice clear but quiet. "You have got the wrong person in front of you. Goodbye."

He turns around and stalks off, trying to pull the same disappearing act he did the last time I met him. Or not met him apparently. But I'm very sure it was him, he looks exactly like it. And faces I do not forget that easily.

I run up to him and decide to walk and talk at the same time. The boy has a quick stride but because of his shorter length it's easy to keep up with. I slightly wonder why I can't just let this go but I quickly push that thought away and try to strike up the conversation again.

"I'm very sure it was you, little boy. You look exactly like the boy I've seen there."

Without even looking at me, the kid shakes his head and tries to move even faster without having it look like he is running.

"It wasn't me, okay. It wasn't." His voice is sounding very harsh now but there's something else too. A slight shaking makes his words sound less threatening and more scared.

"Hey, are you okay?" I say, forgetting that this is just a little boy who I probably never even have seen in my entire life. It doesn't matter, because he sounds frightened and that only makes me remind the poor little kid in the alley more.

His face turns around slightly, sad eyes looking up at me. I wonder how quick a face can break into a million pieces, going from straight-faced control to a vulnerable sight of emotions.

"It was my brother. My twin."

With that he sprints away and I have no intention on following him. I've my answer after all. I shake my head at that thought. I want to punch myself for being so blunt, for even having the guts to go up to a stranger and asking him this. What's wrong with me?

I think about that question the rest of the way to my school.

The classes were okay and gave me some distractions during the day. Raph was, as I predicted, too late and during lunch he told me he had detention and wouldn't be walking with me after school. He also said dad wasn't happy with me just walking away this morning but that he wasn't angry and understood.

It is only after school that things get interesting. The little boy runs up to _me_, smiling when I stop so he can catch up. He looks a lot better than this morning and I'm glad for that.

"Hey," he mutters, blushing slightly when he doesn't seem to know what to say to me. I reply with a polite 'hey' back but wait for him to speak next. Last time I said something our conversation didn't really go as planned and there must be a good reason for him to change his mind. I wonder what it is.

After a few seconds he moves in front of me, having us both stop in the middle of the pavement. People glare down at us and some of them bump against my back but I don't care. All of my attention is on the boy who has one of his hands outstretched for me to take.

"My name is Mikey," he says, giving me a slight grin, his eyes sparkling a bit more than before. I take his hand and shake it while thinking how ridiculous this is. But at the same time it's maybe a little funny. I settle on different but exciting when glancing back at the boy.

"Donatello," I say. "But everyone calls me Donnie or Don for short," I add when I see the confusion and panic in his face for having to remember such a long name. Lots of teachers have trouble with that too.

"Oh, that's so cool. You've got three names instead of one!" He comes to walk next to me again, the fear and reluctance to speak totally gone. "I've always been jealous of people who get multiple names but yours are very nice. Except for the long one, it's kinda hard to remember. Mine's pretty short, but you know that, but what bothers me is that no one will give me a nickname because it's already so short so you can't shorten it any more you know."

I can't help it and start laughing. Seriously, this kid's the same one as this morning? Or is it the twin? I look down to the boy who watches me with curiosity.

"Are you that twin of yours? Or did I really speak to you this morning?"

A flash of hurt crosses his eyes but he covers it up so quickly I don't spare it a second thought. Then he starts laughing too.

"It's me, I promise," he chirps. "It wasn't a joke that I have a twin brother though."

I nod and rationalize that now that so many crazy things have been said today between the both of us, I can ask this question.

"Why did you run away? I mean, I get that it must have been weird for you when a stranger started talking to you and all but," I paused for a bit before going on. "Why come back?"

The answer takes long. A bit too long for my comfort and when it comes, the words are carefully chosen. As if something must not be said. As if I'm getting to close to a secret that's better of buried.

"You're funny," he eventually says. I let my jaw drop which must look weird because the boy starts laughing again. "No really, you seemed nice and all and I like making new friends. I'm sorry I acted stupid this morning but I actually liked you."

"I think you're okay too," I reply, trying to match the smile playing on the freckled face of the young blonde. The rest of our way home is filled with the joyful chatter of my new friend.

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"He didn't want me to stay."

Raph's voice pulls me back from my thoughts and makes both me and Leo grimace. Mikey always has suffered from nightmares and every time they get worse. Leo once told me it was because Mikey's spirit is too gentle so he can't handle the things that have happened to him. I'm not sure but what I do know is that Mikey thinks he _should_ be able to handle them and face the night alone. And that whenever he tries, he never succeeds.

We sit on the couch still when the first screams echo through our small home. Luckily it isn't that late so neighbours won't complain about the noise. Raph stands up and shuffles back into the room he came from a couple of hours ago. Leo and I wait for a bit before going to our own rooms to get the mattresses, blankets and pillows from there and haul them over.

I don't really mind. Our sleepovers are always filled with fun and a lot of talking. Just to keep the nightmares at bay for when we are all be able to sleep somewhere at midnight. I smile when I think of the day Mikey and I became friends. The waterfall-mouth never stopped flowing words and never seems to be running out.

**Wow, this kind of took me longer than I thought. It is also longer than I thought. Not that long but well, for me it is actually. I hope you all liked it and stuff and NO I DO NOT HATE CASEY JONES. I love the guy I just needed him to have this role in the story. You'll get it later on, I hope. **

**Anyways, see ya all later and goodnight! Well, here in the Netherlands it's evening so yeah, goodnight!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ugh I wish life would stop hating me already. Luckily there is always that very wonderful moment of the week called Friday. The day to update your stories and have yourself being cheered up by those sweet reviews (hint hint). So enjoy this very new chapter I've written specially for you guys **

**And apparently I haven't disclaimed any chapter of this story so here's my overall disclaimer. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anybody. Not even my cat. My mom says she's my responsibility but she's under my dad's name. I thought she was **_**my**_** baby **

**Chapter 3: protection**

There is a good reason why it's always me who goes to check on Mikey when he wakes up screaming. The kid has told me stuff; stuff he won't talk about with Leo or Donnie and stuff he didn't even tell our dad. Don't ask why he choose me, I'm the last guy you should go to with this kind of sensitive junk. I guess he does it because it's easier; I've seen how it was at that home he lived in, how broken his family was. And although I'm pretty sure he hasn't even told me half of everything that has taken place in that wicked apartment, the things he did tell me are quite… horrifying.

When I open the door and creep into the bedroom I try to stay a quiet. He doesn't like loud sounds, it makes him remember too much. Of course I suck at it, like every other time I did this, and startle the curled up figure on the bed. Mike sit up in his bed quickly his eyes going every which way while his hands are shaking a bit. His shoulders are slumped and he hastily tries to wipe away some of the moisture on his face. I walk up to him and take a seat on the bed, placing a hand on his right shoulder. He quivers a bit but calms when he looks me right in the eyes.

Touches have always frightened him but that doesn't stop us. Leo's once told us we can't shelter the kid for the rest of his life but need to help him get over it. First step, let him get used to things he might encounter, like people he doesn't know touching him without having him freak out like the first few times we startled him with that. We need him to let go of those old habits, even when it's taking him a while.

"Which one was it?" I whisper, while rubbing his shoulder a bit, releasing the tension that is held there. He removes himself from my touch, sitting up with a sad sight. He doesn't look at me and hides the faint blush that decorates his cheeks. He's ashamed. I hate it when he's ashamed of things like this and feels like he needs to hide. It reminds me of how Mikey didn't have the same life as we did. How much his sucked. That he's hurt a lot before.

You have to know, Mike is one crazy dude. You never actually _see_ how he's been mistreated. He's a goof, nothing more, nothing less. He loves TV, music, skateboarding and pranking. He'll never stop talking and the day he stops moving or making sounds, you can bet all your money on it that he's dead. He doesn't like being alone and a grin wider than that of a clown is permanently plastered on his face. He loves to prank and although it doesn't mean anything good for us, I would take that loudmouth's jokes for every day of the week if it means he'll get one night of fitful sleep. Sometimes I wonder where he gets the energy from as I'm sure it isn't from the unhealthy hours he sleeps. According to Donnie he's got to have some kind of ADHD.

"A new one," is the sudden answer to a question I forgot I had asked. You need to have a lot of patience with the kid when he's like this. No pushing and no prying. We learned that the hard way. Not that he doesn't demand every single ounce of self-control when he isn't in this mood. Only then you need it to hear out all of his pathetic excuses before you're going to chase him for whatever he did to you that day. The laughter which seems to echo against the walls is what creeps under my skin the most. Still it's one of the best sounds on the planet.

"You wanna tell?"

He shakes his head and I bite my tongue in frustration. When Mike doesn't want to talk, he won't. The problem is that I know it will help him a great deal if he would just come clean, especially after he didn't only say something about his mom, but also mentioned his dad for the first time. It's got to be something big.

Just then my brothers come into the small bedroom, blankets and pillows piling in their arms. I can see the slight smile creep onto the kid's face before he half-heartedly tries to talk us out of staying, claiming he can watch himself and that he's just fine. He always does that. But the funny thing is, the longer he has been with us, the shorter those complaints get. This time he only utters two sentences before jokingly groaning at our 'stubbornness'.

There isn't much room but with Mike's bed shoved all the way to one wall, there's just enough space for us to lie down. Don's got to be careful not to hit his head on the desk though. Especially because of all the scrap paper, sketchbooks and pencil cases that are stacked on there. Mikey's an artist through and through. His work is amazing and when he graduates he wants to go to some kind of fancy art school not that far from here. I know Leo can't pay for that but he won't tell Mikey yet. He's a junior, there's still a possibility things will look up for us a bit in the future. Not to mention the possibility of him getting a scholarship or something. Maybe we can work it out. And I might get a better job soon too. A real one, not when I was taking orders at McDonald's, a job Mikey took over a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to earn some money so he could pay for his own phone and clothes. Leo had told him he didn't mind providing for him but Mike's mind was set on the task.

After a few hours of chatting, fooling around and taking turns gaming on Don's Gameboy, Mikey's sleeping soundly.

"How long did it take us?"

Leo checks his phone and smiles, showing us the numbers. It's 2:36 am. Only five hours since Mikey woke up. Must be a new record. Often when he gets this upset (which I think only happened twice before) we all stayed up till at least five. Leo called us all in sick those times so we could sleep for a little longer. Luckily tomorrow, or today now, it's Sunday.

I quietly watch my brothers when they fall asleep. Leo is fast but we all know he's a very light sleeper. Every sound you make wakes the dude up and instead of being groggy or whatever he'd be on high alert. Like a friggin' ninja I tell ya. Donnie on the other hand likes to tire himself out and when he finally does fall unconscious, he's impossible to wake other than by the smell of coffee. Heh, my twin's got his priorities straight.

It's been a long time since I've had to worry about Don, other than his obvious caffeine-addiction. He used to get bullied a lot at school and he was always really quiet about that. When either me, Leo or dad would find out, the situation had often escalated to the point of him getting physically hurt or his stuff being damaged or broken. Dad would always go talk with the teachers but that never played out. It was me who stood at my twin's side against the jerks. Actually something like that was the reason why I got expelled from our middle school once, because of fighting. Not that I cared. I had a younger brother to protect.

And I still kinda do. Maybe Mike's not flesh and blood, but the only reason why we aren't calling him a brother nowadays is because he doesn't want us to. He's a part of the family, from the inside and out, even though I made some mistakes against him a couple of years ago.

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_Me and Casey got along great together. Sure I got in a little more trouble at school and with dad than I did before I met him but we had a lot of fun. The first few weeks Case liked being at our place, hanging out with me behind the television or playing a game or something. Sometime after that he said the streets were more fun. He taught me to play soccer and I showed him how to do a proper lay-up at basketball. We played a lot against other kids from the neighborhood and slowly build a reputation there. _

_Dad was okay with what we did as long as I wouldn't get into trouble or bother someone. Donnie was less a fan of my new friend however. At first I didn't get why, Casey was real nice to him, more so than to Leo. Don had even befriended Casey's little brother. They walked home after school almost every day and seemed to get along fine. I never saw the kid though. He always disappeared when me and Case got close. According to Casey he didn't like meeting strangers. I didn't think much of it. Casey told me his little brother was kinda weird and I agreed with him. There had to be some reason my new best friend had to teach him a lesson right?_

"Hey Casey," I greet when I see him coming towards me. Donnie and I are walking to school, trying to get there as soon as possible because of the cold rain drizzling down and slowly soaking me. Dad had told me to wear a raincoat like Don did but Casey said those were lame and he's kind of right.

"Hey dudes," he mutters flashing a grin at me. "Seen my younger brother anywhere?"

I shake my head and glance at Donnie. He's around that boy quite often, it wouldn't be strange for him to know. Don merely shrugs and looks up. I see something like anger in his eyes and flinch a bit. He's never angry. Did something happen? Maybe it's some jerks again. He's in a higher grade now so it could be he earned himself some new tormentors.

"Depends on what you need your brother for. You want to beat him up again? Or maybe his twin?"

Casey starts laughing and claps Donnie on his shoulder. "He told you he has a twin? Oh I love how imaginative that kid is. He even tried to convince me of that once. And I never really beat them up, they just sometimes need to be taught a lesson. It's what older brothers do."

"Maybe that's what _you_ do," I hear Donnie quietly mumble before he stalks off towards the entrance of the school on his own. I shrug at Casey in a 'you know what happened there?' kind of way which he replies to with a smirk.

"I'm gonna throw my jacket in my locker," I say before walking into class after my friend. "It's soaked."

He gives me a small wave as indication that he heard me before slumping into one of the chairs at the back of the class, a bored expression on his face and fumbling with his mobile phone.

I only never make it to my locker. Before I'm even out of the hallway a blonde kid appears in front of me. His wet hear sticks to his forehead and streams of water are still dripping from his face. He obviously didn't put on his raincoat, like me and Casey.

"What is it kid?" I faintly recognize him from the alley but other than that I actually haven't seen much of him. According to Don he's a talker but with that serious face he's pulling at me now I have a hard time believing that. "Your brother's looking for you, you know that?"

He nods his head and flinches slightly, moving his hand towards his neck subconsciously. He fidgets a little with his soaking jeans before quietly sighing and looking up at me. His eyes are a little overwhelming. I've never seen such a sharp look before.

"Be careful. My brother isn't what he seems. Don't believe everything he says."

With that he whirls around trying to make a break to his own classroom. I grab his shoulder to stop him but he quickly pulls it out of my grasp in a clumsy but violent movement. It still worked though. He turns around, watching me with cautious eyes, trying to hide the hint of curiosity that glints within them.

"What do ya mean kid?" I say now I've got his attention again. "Why are you telling me this?"

He shrugs his little shoulders and looks everywhere but towards me. I don't get it. Don told me he was a _chatterer, _that he _never_ shut up. This doesn't look like that kid by far.

"You're Donnie's brother. I like Donnie, he's my friend. I don't want the twin of my friend get hurt."

With that he's gone. I'm not trying to stop him either. I walk back towards my class, trying to figure out what he is actually trying to tell me. Why warn me for Casey? He's been cool to me and to Don, Leo and dad too. I step into the room, taking my spot next to Case who pushes the phone under my nose because of some insane video of a dude running up against a wall and landing on top of it. At the end of the hour I've forgotten the whole strange conversation I had that morning.

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Now I regret it. Every single damn thing I did I regret. Well, except for stepping into that fight when my not quite new baby brother got beaten up by his supposedly real older brother. But I know I should've done more. I should've listened to Don when he told me of the kid's twin brother, not laugh at him just because Casey said it was ridiculous. Maybe then Mikey wouldn't be as messed up as he is now. Sure we're helping him out but he's far from okay. Leo thinks he never will be completely alright. Trauma's a hard thing to get over. Especially when you've seen the stuff Mike has seen at such a young age. The stuff he went through even after my twin befriended him. If we had just acted a bit sooner….

**Hmmm yeah I think this chapter turned out okay. A few more questions and a few more hints at answers. How much I love this kind of suspense :p Anyways, read, review sent me cookies whatever. **

**Btw, the video I described was actually a thing a friend of mine did. I was flabbergasted. Don't be surprised if it appears to be that Spiderman lives in the Netherlands because I swear he might be him. **

**See ya laters!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! As I only have two huge tests tomorrow I thought this would be the perfect time to update :D It's not like I'm terrible at French or mo anyways hehe. Or maybe I am…. But I can write at least so after spending a whole day doing stuff I just fail at I thought it would be nice to update something too. **

**And to TJHECTOR, Poetique-Justyce, Zelgadis55, LIL PriNCeSs Me, bookworm563, Athese and my unknown but nevertheless appreciated guest-reviewer I wanna say, thank you for your patience, the questions you have all been complaining about are somewhat answered a little in this chapter. See if you like it ;)**

**I warn ya all, there ain't very pretty things in this chapter. It's the sexual assault I've mentioned but no worries, I haven't described it very vivid or something. Still it is mentioned so beware…**

**Chapter 4: Hiding**

When I wake up I immediately know there is no way I'll be able to get back to sleep. I didn't get any more nightmares or anything but my dreams were still a bit confusing to say the least. My head is drowning in thoughts, both from the past and present, and I feel like getting out as soon as I can. I hate those whirlwinds of thoughts, it feels like they'll never leave you alone and the problems you worry about will never be entirely solved. I need to get away.

I quietly slip out of bed, careful not to wake the guys as they're sleeping in a pile on my bedroom floor. But it doesn't matter how silent I am, Leo's like an insane ninja with bat ears or something. He sees and hears everything.

"Where are you going?" he mumbles sleepily when I pass his not-so-sleeping form on the ground. I glance back at him and give him my most disarming smile.

"Just gonna get you guys some breakfast, bro," I say happily but still in a whisper.

I can see how it puts him at ease. He must be worried about my 'attack' yesterday. I admit it was a little bad but I can get over it, I'm sure. Maybe I overreacted. I mean, I get why they said no, I tried to pull them into plain madness. Going to see my family with all four of us? As if that would protect her. I'm not even part of this family. For family you do everything. Leo once told me that when I wondered about their tight bond. And maybe that got me confused, made me believe they would actually go with me to someone they don't even know. To maybe get into a dangerous situation for someone they don't even know.

And maybe that's why I need to go back. The nightmare from last night, it knocked some sense into me. It helped me to remember what I need to do. I don't particularly like my family, far from that, but I don't want to see mom get hurt. She's my family and in a strange way I still care about her. I still love her. And I don't want her to go through that another time. Not like that again.

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_I can't remember much of it. I was only little, I think five or six. At least young enough not to understand what was going on; not to the extend Casey did. The experience changed him so much. Not that he loved me before, he always had used me as a vent for his frustrations but I didn't mind that much then. I was used to being alone. But after the violence he had seen he started to hate me. He got physical with me rather than the verbal assaults or just the cold shoulder. My mom hit the both of us too, regularly, she too changed after what happened. She got more vicious. But even after they only bruised me or sometimes made me bleed. It was nowhere near as bad as what father did that day. _

"Go to bed, both of you."

Mom slurs a little. Casey told me she does that because she is drinking the red energy drink again. He also says it isn't energy drink but mommy told me it makes her feel better and energy drink makes me feel better. It's nice and sweet but mommy won't let me have any of hers. She says it's only for adults. And she takes that very seriously because she drinks bottles of it every day. The large bottles which are lying around or small apartment everywhere. I sometimes use them to make towers. That is really fun.

Casey made her mad at us again. He had broken the TV with a hockey stick which made me cry. But mommy had a head ache and she couldn't handle the sounds so she got mad. My big brother seemed to be happy with her being mad but I don't understand that. My back really hurts now. Why doesn't his back hurt? There is blood coming from it. It looks scary against his white t-shirt.

I slowly scuffle towards the room I share with my older brother but he keeps glaring at mommy. Why won't he just go with me. That's always better than fight more with her. Maybe he'll even let me help him get a band aid on.

Suddenly the door slams open. The sound is really loud because Casey had already locked it. It hits me in the back of my head and makes me very dizzy. I cry again but this time mommy isn't annoyed with me. She just looks at the man who comes into our home.

He has very ugly hair which is very short at both sides of his head but not as short at the top. And he has painted it red on the sides. I don't like it, it makes me think of blood. He also has a very big sweater on and when he pulls it a little up he shows us a pistol. I know what they are and I know they are bad. The people in movies are always very scared of the pistols. They always run away. But I don't know where to run because our home is very small and I don't want to go outside alone.

But the man doesn't point the gun at me or my brother. He only looks at mommy and she looks really scared of him. That's right because the people in the movies always do that too. Casey pulls at my t-shirt a bit, pushing me back towards the door. I think he wants us to escape and together with him I don't mind going outside. I turn around to go just when Casey gives me another push. I fall though and cry out. Now the man looks at us and grins.

"You stay here," he smiles. It isn't a nice smile. He smiles like he's hungry and wants us to be lunch. Just like cookie monster from sesame street when he looks at his plate of cookies. He never wants to share them. This man looks like that too. Like a meanie.

He points the gun at mommy again. "Or very bad things will happen to her."

I shiver a little and I know it is because I'm afraid. I don't want him to hurt mommy. She is the one that gives us food and made sure we have a television. Well, before Casey broke it. But my older brother is really brave. He looks angry at the man and steps a little in front of me. I like that. It makes me feel a little bit better.

"Not in front of the children," says mommy and the man stops minding me and Casey.

He goes back to mommy. And she screams. And he slaps her and pushes her down. She screams really hard until the man takes a handkerchief and stuffs it into mommy's mouth. Then she's quieter.

Then the man does stuff to her. He hurts her really bad, I can see that. It is on her face. I'm scared, especially when he cuts her pants. They were very nice pants, I once drew on them to make them prettier. Mommy wasn't really happy with that though but she still wore them. Now she can't anymore. But that is not what makes me afraid. He is close with a knife. Nearby her skin and I know what happens when skin and a knife are brought together. Then you have blood.

And we stand there a very long time. And I pee in my pants and I cry. But no one cares. Casey and the man are focused on mommy and she is writhing in pain while the man looks down on her with that creepy smirk again. He does stuff to her I only understood years later. I can't even remember how long everything took, what happened after or what I was thinking at the time. The only thing that is still clear in my mind is the red between mommy's legs. And how I was left wondering how sharp the skin of the man must have been to cause blood.

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That was the day. The day Casey became a monster because of what he had seen. The day my mom lost all hope of ever enjoying her life again. And the day I got myself a twin. Whenever I was scared after that, my twin brother Richi would take my place. He would talk with me inside my head and make sure that I couldn't see anything of what happened to my body outside of it. He became my best friend. My safety zone. My security blanket.

I shake my head roughly, leaning on one of the chairs around the small kitchen table. Too much. No need for more anxiety or I'll never make it out of this apartment. I need the courage now more than ever. It cannot happen again. Not to my mom, not to a potential other little boy or girl. I need to stop him. Or die trying. The guy's dad, Master Splinter, always told me honour is one of the most valued things in your life. It defines who you are and what you are going to do. It's a lesson I take to heart.

I glance at the door with my sleeping friends behind it and decide I should write a note. A quick one, explaining them I won't be gone long and that I promise them I will come back. I thank them for helping me last night and sign my name. I place the pencil down and grab my jacket. When I open the door and feel a cold hand inside freeze my heart, I silently wish that Richi is still there for me. Even when I haven't seen him around for a while.

**So did I make stuff more complicated or are things really a bit cleared up? If not tell me about it and I'll see if it is because you're supposed to not know or that I just messed up. Oh and if you did get it, tell me too because I'm curious what you guys all think has really happened to Mikey. It's hard to write his point of view, especially because this isn't all fiction and it isn't something I ever experienced (thank god). But all that will also become clear at the end of this story. So please hang on and give me the courage to continue writing my posting lovely reviews =)**


	6. Chapter 6

**The testweek is finally over! FREEDOM! For celebrating I got you guys another chapter, enjoy! And I'm kinda thinking of a new story, well not really a story but seven one-shots molded into one. Look out for it, it's pretty good if I say it myself ;)**

**Chapter 6: play**

I stare at my older brother in amazement. Sure he's been trained as a ninja by Master Splinter but this is just plain ridiculous. How did he get here sooner than I did? I've been walking for at least twenty minutes already and the streets here are pretty crowded. No way he should be able to find me. It's the reason why I took the longer route through the shopping mall in the first place. Not to forget, when I got out of the house he was sleeping for god's sake.

"Hey, dude," I say cheerily, trying to get the moody look of his face. He crosses his arms however and scowls even deeper. Something only the hothead of the Hamato family can pull off. And Raph's proud of that too.

"Don't 'hey' me. What are you doing out here? It sure doesn't look like fixing breakfast."

I want to say something about stating the obvious but keep quiet. He has this no nonsense look on his face, something I've come to both hate and love over the last few years. It's this mix of emotions my brothers show when being annoyed and most of the time quite disappointed. When I was a bit younger and just moved in with them, I earned a lot of those expressions although then their faces would have these ugly creases of sadness and pity. But the funny thing is, those looks make me feel loved all the same. They are signs of people caring enough for you to feel like this. They are emotions I have never traced in my family's faces.

"Oh breakfast. I'm on that right now, Raphie-boy. But we ran out of eh… cereal?"

Raph's head is slowly shaking left to right while his arms loosen a little. There is a smirk plastered on his face and I know I should be afraid. I'm glad he isn't glaring at me like he wants to kill me, but this look means as much of a beat down as the other does. Actually 80 percent of Raph's facial expressions has that effect.

"Leo's bought another box yesterday. And you know that, you filled the cabinets."

_Oh, and since when do you care about the chores Raph? _ I mentally sneer. When Master Splinter was still alive Raph could be forced to help around some. Those enforcements mostly ended into us all laughing at Raph's expense because of Sensei using a pressure point. Secretly I think he was being difficult just so he could bother his father and spent some time with him. Splinter always helped him, you know, although I think that's because Raph just sucks at cleaning anything. But ever since Sensei passed away, Raph's been slaking of in the house work, not bothering to do the laundry or the dishes anymore. None of us really mind though, Raph's got some unresolved issues revolving around his father's death and stays away from everything that reminds him of it. It's been years since he's been in dad's room.

I snap out of my thoughts when Raph starts impatiently tapping his foot. I shoot him a winning smile as a last resort while saying: "Did I say cereal? I meant pancake batter of course! I thought you guys would be in for some real American breakfast this morning."

And the spell is broken. Raph's arm slings around my shoulders while chuckling a little. I love that sound. It's deep and rough and only when you try really hard you can get that sound coming from him. He isn't really of a laugher after all.

We walk around the mall for a little, window-shopping and me chattering about some meaningless things. I always do that when I get nervous. I really want to know why he's here. What does he know? Does he suspect something? As much as I love the guys, they made it pretty clear they don't want to be dragged into this drama and I don't blame them for that either. This is my mess to clear up, not theirs. But at least give me the space to do that.

"Hey Mikey?"

I look up at the older boy. He's only three years older but a hell of a lot taller. I've always been short. I blamed it on me not having had my growth spurt yet but I'm seventeen now. I doubt it will still come.

"Why'd you do that again? I thought we were over this."

I expected him to ask this but not this soon. Raph's not really one for the heart-to-heart talks. It's more Leo's job to lecture and often Donnie to make me open up about things. The strange thing is, I think in the end I've told Raph the most about my earlier life and he's never probed for anything, like the other two did. He's more of a listener, so in some way it feels easier to talk to him. He doesn't expect anything and doesn't make me feel like I might make him upset with me. He gets it. But the thing is, I always started our conversations, he never asked me something this bluntly. Not about what used to be.

The thing he's referring to is when I just came to live with the guys and their father. I used to sneak out, or try to sneak out, whenever I felt like being alone. I'd been alone for so long before that and I came to crave that solitude, the moments I felt like I couldn't do anything wrong and wouldn't bother anyone. That was what I was most afraid of, that I would annoy and anger my new friends as much as I did to my own family. But Donnie, Leo, Raph and even Master Splinter, they always went out looking for me when I disappeared. And eventually, after a lot of time and some small talks with Sensei, I started to appreciate the company more. Being alone was rather lonely after all.

"I don't know Raph, I just needed to get away for a while."

His sigh is long and I know he tries to keep his calm. Not because he's angry with me, but because the situation frustrated him. I used to think Raph hated me but Leo explained that it wasn't _me_ who he got angry with but the ones that made me who I was. I didn't get that at first but I think I understand now. I still do some weird things, I got these reactions, these reflexes I just can't ignore. I heard Donnie once say to his brothers that it might always be a part of me. I don't know. It's been me for such a long time.

"I know you do sometimes, kid. But you gotta tell us then, not lie about it and ninja your way out of the house. You suck at that by the way. That door slammed shut was as loud as a gunshot."

I know he's teasing me and that I actually should be offended but I don't. I hate the heavy situations, the moments in which people wanna be serious all the time. I do everything to break them through but sometimes I'm just too down to do that, in this case because of a certain nuisance in the form of a hothead next to me. But the same hothead is saving me from another uncomfortable talk _and_ a lecture so I should probably not complain too much.

Without really noticing where we're going I trudge after Raph for a bit, humming a song so I won't think about stuff I don't want to think about. I notice how Raph starts to step on the beat and smirk. He loves music. About most things he's pretty quiet, not wanting anyone to see behind his tough-guy exterior. But that's everything except for music. He eats, breathes and sleeps the beats, tunes and sounds of whatever you play. He isn't that much into the classical tunes though, but as long as there's something on, he'll be satisfied. He can play the keyboard and the guitar pretty well too and taught himself to play when Master Splinter got sick and there was no money for his lessons anymore. He got the basics down easily then so he just continued listening to different styles and tried to produce the same sounds. It's cool, I got to admit that. I mean, it's not my skateboarding tricks but it's awesome nevertheless.

I'm so consumed in my own thoughts I don't notice the ball until it hits me squarely in the face. I catch the black and white soccer ball in my hands with a confused look before adverting my glance towards Raph. He's standing in the middle of the more brown than green soccer field a little out in the suburbs. I hadn't even noticed we'd walked all the way here. It's the spot I used to play with Casey when we were little. The place Raph used to play with Casey when we got older. And eventually it became our spot, of Raph and me alone. I often brought him here to blow of some steam. The old goals, which are nothing more but half a square made out of poles with the two ends buried deep into the ground. There hasn't been a net in ages. Only a few strings of rope swaying around in the wind are proof of the fact the goals once were brand new.

"You gonna stand there or play with me, squirt?"

I whine slightly at the nickname but laugh nevertheless.

"I'm gonna kick your but, Raphie, count on that!"

I kick the ball high up so I've got enough time to take my place in the goal.

"First with twenty goals wins!"

After hours we're both sitting on the soccer field, sharing a bottle of water Raph bought in the nearby convenience store. I've no idea how many goals we made and neither do I know who won. We had fun though. I glance at Raph's watch and see it's already 2:37 in the afternoon. We missed out on both lunch and breakfast and I'm feeling quite hungry.

"Yo Raph, wanna go back home again. I need to eat something dude."

He nods before taking my hand so I can pull him up. He takes another swig of water before saying: "Yeah, let's go."

And it's not after we both turn around that he says something. I'm not sure how long they've watched us but judging on my brother's attention span, it can't be that long. His is almost as bad as mine. Casey watches me like a predator eyes his prey and the group of thugs around him make him all the more confident. I can see that in his eyes and the way he's glancing around just to make sure he isn't standing on his own. Casey's always been all about crowd control, not daring to make a move without knowing he has proper back-up. I don't blame the guy. Whenever he fought me, or let's just say whenever he beat me down, I was always alone. No chance of winning. It makes me want to shiver when I think of it. What is he doing out of juvie anyways? As if it wasn't bad enough to have my dad on the loose again. Not that it matters. The real question is what he wants from us.

"Hey Raph, baby brother, missed me?"

And just with that sentence, I know this can't be good.

**I'm so glad I finally got to write this chapter! It's been bugging me the whole testweek long and I have to say, I'm not disappointed with it at all. I just don't like my writing that much but after writing a paper of two hours my fingers and brain are overworked so excuse me for being a little rusty. Please tell me what you think, especially on the bond I've come up with between Raphie and Mikey. It's a special one ;)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I have a new computer! Now I don't have to wait for a total of thirty minutes just to be able to type something yay :D And just as an extra bonus, this one isn't virus-infested either. Only one disadvantage, now I don't have sorry excuses for not updating hehe… Enjoy this anyways, it's a long chapter **

**Chapter 7: different**

Leo and I were just having a late lunch. We both hoped Mikey and Raph would come home at some point but they didn't show up. Eventually we both grew tired of our growling stomachs so Leo made us a bunch of sandwiches, leaving a couple on the counter for when or missing brothers get home.

Every time I look at their lunch I feel this churning inside my belly though, telling me something is wrong. All of the sudden I don't feel that hungry anymore and I get a little nervous. Leo hasn't said a word for a long time either and he has this frown upon his face. On the other hand, the guy's always frowning. It's his job to worry over us, even when he knows Mikey and Raph can take care of themselves. I just don't like it that _I _am worrying now too. Often it is either Mikey or me who are the voice of reason, telling Leo or Raph for the umpteenth time that everything's going to turn out fine. I sigh and place my head next to my plate on the table, I really feel sick now.

Too bad I'm lost in thought because when Leo's phone suddenly starts ringing, I slam my head against the lamp overhanging our dinner table. I don't mind though and quickly take a look at the caller's id, immediately seeing it's Raph. My oldest brother's face grows concerned when he answers the call with shaky fingers. Sure Mikey and Raph stay out all the time, and often till late. But never has Mikey missed two meals without at least informing one of us that he's gone. And with his attack yesterday and him lying about sneaking out, it sends me on edge. Why do they have to call? I thought Raph was only going to chew Mikey out on why he left and then bring him back home again. What took them so long?

Leo's face grows paler by the second. His eyes narrow with each word Raph speaks to him and his forehead ripples when they do. He drums his fingers hastily on the hardwood table, a nervous habit he possesses from when he was a child. The conversation is very short but when it's over, Leo stands up so quick his chair falls backwards on the tiled floor.

"We need to go," he tells me, his voice serious and steady. "Can you fetch the medical kit out of the storage room, I'm going to get the car out of the garage and I'll meet you downstairs."

With that my older brother throws open the door, car keys in hand and no jacket on. I quickly make my way over to the hallway closet, fetch the medical kit and grab both of our jackets. My hands are shaking and it takes me at least three minutes to turn the key and lock the front door. I take the stairs instead of the elevator, not because it should be faster, but because I can't stand standing still right now.

Leo is already waiting for me downstairs. When he sees me he quickly throws open the door, allowing me to slip into the passenger's seat. I hand him his jacket which he merely throws on the backseats. I sigh but don't comment, fingering the handle of the medkit.

I know something's gone wrong. I already felt uneasy so I'm very sure it has something to do with Raph. Not because we're twins and we're supposed to be connected or something. Just because I know my brother very well and he wouldn't let any harm get to Mikey as long as he's there. Eventually I glance sideways, looking at Leo's worried face which slightly calms now he knows he's on his way. He's always like that. He feels awful when something bad happens but at the same time he finds it soothing to be able to help out, fix the problem. And that's what we're doing now. I decide I can ask him.

"Leo, what's going on? What did Raph say?"

I see how his shoulders tense slightly before he covers his stress up with a reassuring smile. His big-brother-smile which always seemes to calm us down, whatever the situation might be. And although I know it's just a cover-up, it makes me relax despite myself. Everything's going to be alright if our big brother says so.

"Raph told me he and Mikey got into some trouble. They're both pretty beat-up and he didn't think he could make it home. That was all he said but judging on how he sounded, I think it's pretty bad."

I nod slowly, my fingers moving faster over the smooth surface of the lit. I already knew it wasn't going to be good or Raph wouldn't have called. Heck, we're driving there for god's sake. The car is officially of limits unless it's an emergency. We're tight on money and Leo doesn't want to spent it of fuel when we can perfectly walk or cycle everywhere. Public transportation when we really need to but hardly ever do we take dad's car out.

"Where are they? They've been gone for almost four hours already," I half ask, half wonder out loud. Neither me, nor Leo knows why Mikey left in the first place so they could be anywhere.

"They went to their old soccer field," Leo replies robotically. He despises the place because it's in a bad neighbourhood. Raph used to hang out with a gang, the Purple Dragons, and they got him into big trouble. Every time my hot-headed brother comes close to doing something illegal or reminds Leo of having done just that, my oldest brother gets angry. It's a hard subject for both of them and they've never really talked about it.

My thoughts start wandering back to my two missing brothers. I wonder where Raph has left his motorcycle because leaving him near the field will be the worst idea. The motor will be stolen or vandalized over the night. And it isn't really _his_ motorcycle, it's mister Murakami's. He owns a small restaurant nearby or apartment and when he was younger he was a biker. A brain tumour caused him to become blind which sounds a lot worse than it actually is. See, mister Murakami once told us his blindness was a gift, enabling him to see the world in a new perspective and make better decisions. His and other people's wellbeing became more important to him, rather than the kick and the thrill of riding a motorbike. He even teaches Raph how to repair and maintain his old bike, which is why he agreed to have Raph borrow it every now and then. He pays for the maintenance and the driver's licence because he knows we can't afford it ourselves. It's one of the few people Raphael has respect for and might look up to. It was partially mister Murakami who got him off the streets when he was younger.

With a rather sharp turn I'm pulled out of my head and back into reality. I'm pretty sure Leo has violated every traffic law that exists but it doesn't matter. We're here and in less than half of the time it usually takes.

We both rush out of the car, jogging the last part through some industrial ground, consisting of old warehouses and a couple of flats on the sides. Right behind them lies the old dirt ground with two goals on both sides. Mikey has been offered a few times to join the school team but he always declined, stating that he doesn't like to play games. However, he still loves to come to this place which is probably not even being used by others anymore. Only Raph knows why he'll only play his favourite game on these grounds. And he never wanted to share it with us, stating that Mikey needed to come up with that reason on his own.

It takes us a while to find the two but eventually Leo sees them sitting under one of the very few trees growing on one of the sides of the field. Raph is sitting up against the trunk and Mikey's head is lying in his lap which is the first sign for me to know this is bad.

When we come closer I can see blood streaming from Raph's face and a bruise blooming on his jaw and eye, which he will be unable to open later on. Mikey's temple is bleeding like crazy and his eyes are closed. I hope he doesn't have a concussion or the fact that he's not awake can cause some serious problems. Other than the cut on his head his face doesn't look that bad. His hands on the other hand are bloody and bruised.

"What happened, Raph?" Leo demands our still conscious brother. His tone is soft and gentle though, one he only reserves for us when we are sick, hurt or afraid.

Raph roughly cards a hand through Mikey's hair continuously and for a second I'm worried he also has been concussed and is confused. But when I take a better look at his eyes I know he's just worried and I understand that. Something like this has happened before. And Raph had made a mistake that day.

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_The friendship between Mikey and I continued growing. I liked the little guy, him being always so upbeat, so carefree and always having something funny to say. He loosened me up some, even Leo once said that. According to father Mikey was a good influence on me, making me relax when I needed to. And he really did. Whenever I would feel the pressure of having to excel at school or being afraid I wasn't good enough, he would make me take a breather, reminding me that not everything is about school and grades. He even cheered me up when classmates would start picking on me again. _

_The strange thing was that Raph's friendship with Casey also grew and that the effect Mikey's older brother had on mine, was the opposite of what Mikey did for me. Raph wasn't home much anymore, preferring to hang out with his new friend. He also had fights with father, talking back to him and getting into trouble. But other than the fact that he wasn't with the family as much as he used to be, he still treated me the same way. We were brothers after all, even twins. We were close no matter how much our personalities collided. At least, until then. We walked home from school that day and Casey did it again._

"Mikey!"

Both me and the blond boy next to me look up. Casey comes running after us with a glare on his face. He holds up a torn wallet waving it in front of his little brother's face when he stops in front of us.

"Where is it?!" he screams, steam practically coming from his ears and nose, his face glowing a slight shade of red. "I know you took it! Wanted to get yourself that comic book didn't you?"

I glance from one brother to the other, a confused look on my face, when Raph comes walking up to us. He probably had been walking home with Casey when his friend started coming after us. I look up at my brother, silently asking what this is all about. He comes standing next to me and whispers in my ear.

"That punk of a brother of his has stolen all his money. Casey's been saving it for days and he took it all to get himself something."

A cold feeling spreads down my fingertips when I hear that. Mikey has stolen? Why would he do that? He doesn't seem like a guy to steal, especially because he is so young. He never talks about money too, or stuff he possesses. I don't think it's much though. He always wears the same, one of the three sweaters I have seen on him, and his shoes look like they've been old ones from Casey. But he never complains, refusing my offers to buy him an ice-cream or anything on a hot day.

"Are you sure Raph?" I whisper back to my brother. I point to the scene in front of us. Casey is pushing his brother now, taking fists of Mikey's jacket in his hands and thrashing him about. I can see how the little guy's eyes are darkening, nothing like the spark he usually has. He looks a little afraid for a moment but then it changes into a blank, greyish look. "He doesn't look very guilty to me."

My brother turns around swiftly, his eyes locking into mine. "Sure he did it, who else would have? You know how many soccer games we had to play to win that money? It took us ages to save it!"

I take a few steps back from my brother's aggressive shouting, my eyes darting towards the two other brothers dealing with their own fight. My eyes widen at what I see. Things are getting out of hand. Casey has Mikey pressed against a wall and is still shouting in his face. I quickly look around for by-passers who might be able to help us but the streets are empty. It's only two o'clock, we were lucky school was out early today, and the street we're in now is never really crowded. There are only offices here and they don't close up until like six.

I turn to the only one who might want to help me and luckily Raph also looks a bit shocked at how rough Casey handles his younger brother.

"Hey Case," my older brother starts. "Don't you think that's enough? You're hurting him."

The older boy gives his brother another violent push and I hear the sickening thud of a head hitting the wall hard. "That's the point here," he grumbles while holding up his brother a little higher, his toes barely touching the ground.

"Come on now, dude," Raph mutters, prying Casey's fingers off the younger boy's jacket. "Let's go get something to drink, yeah?"

"Well ain't that gonna be hard with now money, huh?!" Casey all but shouts while still throwing Mikey back and forth against the wall. "Because this filthy shit has got it all!"

Only when I try and step in, he actually lets his brother go, spitting on his head when he hits the ground. Then he walks away, only motioning for Raph to follow him.

"Bastard," I mutter while both me and Raph move towards my friend, checking up on him. It was a foul move however.

"What did you call me?" Casey was suddenly standing in front of me, holding up a fist. But Raph is up just as quickly and shoves him away from me. I can't help but smile slightly at his support.

"You don't touch my brother, ya hear me?" he states seriously, coming dangerously close to Casey's face. From behind Raph's shoulder I can see how the bully's face grows furious, then calms down. He gives Raph a nod before taking a few steps forward. Without a warning he delivers a last kick towards Mikey who is still sitting on the ground. The boy shouts in surprise and pain but quickly grows quiet when he hears Casey growl.

"C'mon Raph," he mutters while shouldering past us.

I look pleadingly at Raph, begging him to stay with me and help me out. Why does he even want to be friends with this guy? He's a bully and Raph always protected me from them. Why does he want to hang out with them then too? But I can see my brother's eyes changing, something unfamiliar darkening them.

"Please Raph, he's hurt," I use as a last resort. Even I can understand that if Raph leaves with me now, his friendship with Casey will be over. This is more than a fight, this is now a trial of where my older brother's loyalty lies. Deep down I wonder if Casey even planned this, just to see what Raph would do. But Raph has always stood up for the ones who can't do it themselves. He's a protector at heart. On the other hand, more has changed over the last few weeks since we met the two brothers. Before Raph would never dream of fighting with father. A lot has changed and I'm afraid I'm losing my brother because of some stupid bully.

"Sorry Donnie, you're my brother. He isn't," he points at the slumped figure against the wall before turning around and meeting Casey down the street. I can see the smirk on the guy's face and want to scream. I don't however, because of the blood that slowly darkens the light blond curls of the stoic boy against the wall.

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That moment has never really been Raph's fault. He didn't know what Casey had done or at least that it was that bad. Damn it, everyone makes mistakes in his life and Mikey has long forgiven him for that moment; and every single one after it. But Raph has never forgiven himself. And now every time Mikey gets hurt, physically hurt, Raph feels guilty over this moment because it makes him remember. It doesn't matter how often we all tell him it wasn't his fault and that it's forgotten, Raph will always feel terrible about it. The first time of many that he let Mikey down, he says himself. And to be honest, it makes me feel the pain of my brother in tenfold when I see him like this. It helps me to remember that not only Mikey, but we all carry the scars of what happened to us all those years ago.

"Can you help Raph?"

I quickly nod while helping Leo get a good grip on Mikey. He's lucky that he still is this small so Leo can carry him easily in his arms. I gently lay the young blond's head in the crook of my older brother's neck before turning around for my twin. He looks up at me and I give him a slight smile. He smirks back while taking my hand.

"Careful Don, I think I twisted my ankle too," my older brother hisses through gritted teeth. I mutter something incoherently about stupid older brothers not telling me where they're hurt until the moment it's too late while slinging Raph's arm over my shoulders.

"Now tell me tough guy, who were those guys that beat you up?"

I see how my twin's face grows grim and swallow a lump down I hadn't noticed when it formed.

"T'was Casey. Him and the Purple Dragons. They want their money back, Don. And fast."

I immediately stop walking, staring into my brother's eyes with disbelief. His eyes look grave while he slowly nods to confirm what he just told me.

"Hell," I mutter.

**Whoooo I got a long way, yay! And how I love that my computer works so fast! Maybe I had to wait for it a couple of days but it's all worth it. Oh yeah, uhm… the reason why I haven't PM'd and reviewed and stuff is also because I waited for my computer to be fixed so no worries, everything's being replied to as soon as possible :D**

**Please tell me what you think and see ya all later!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Fixing**

The way home can't take us more than fifteen minutes but to me it seems like we're in this car for hours already. Raph is sitting next to me with a cold compress on his cheek. A few band aids are stuck to his face but according to my immediate younger brother his ankle is the killer. I'm worried because if it's broken we have no other choice but to go to the hospital. And I would do that without a heartbeat but without an insurance there is a chance we cannot afford it and that'll hurt me more than I can ever admit. Our money problems have always held us back but never to an extend that we were denied medical attention. On the other hand, none of us have ever gotten as badly hurt as a break in the bone. At least, not after Sensei passed away.

I look in the rear-view mirror sharing a quiet conversation with Donnie. With one hand he keeps Mikey, whose head is in his lap, steady while his other hand holds half a roll of bandages against his bleeding temple. My jacket is thrown over his shoulders which makes him look so much smaller than he already is. He already told me not to worry about it as head wounds always look much worse than they truly are. But at this moment the only one who can really calm me down is Mikey himself, waking up and telling me he is alright. Same goes for Raph if it wasn't for his stubbornness. Ever since he was ten years old there is just no way to see if he is in pain or not, simply because he will not tell us or lie about it. When he roamed the streets with Casey that habit only grew. Nowadays I know better than to ask, judging on Donnie's verdict to know if he's alright or not.

"Ouch," came the soft voice from the backseats. For a second I turn around, taking in a glimpse of a waking Mikey before Raph loudly shouts my name as we almost hit a light post. For a moment I debate on parking the car alongside the road to see how the boy is doing. I chose to continue driving though, having confidence in my youngest brother to take care of Mikey. The sooner we're home the better.

I can hear a faint struggle between Donnie and Mikey as the younger blond tries to sit up straight. Don holds him down forcefully though, claiming his headache will only grow worse if he moves too much. After another few minutes of the two talking some and Mikey answering questions, he's allowed to sit up, holding his head with both of his hands, his eyes closed tightly.

"How's the knucklehead doing, Donnie?" Raph asks.

Instead of Donnie it's Mikey who answers. "I'm just fine, thank you," he grumbles through gritted teeth. "Is there a chance of there being any painkillers in that box of yours?" He asks Donnie.

"Well actually there are, only no water so you'll have to wait anyways."

Another loud groan and something mumbled about a cruel world. I can't help but laugh which earns me a playful glare through the rear-view mirror. Now I know he's alright the last few minutes home don't take as long as I thought.

After another set of complaints we allow Mikey to get to our apartment by himself as long as I support him. Donnie and Raph go first with the elevator as Raph's leg needs to be elevated as soon as possible. When the door closes behind them I feel how Mikey leans against me a bit heavier. I glance at him and he gives me an apologetic smile. His eyes speak more of the truth though. Maybe Mikey's even a better liar than Raph is, but when you know what signs to look for it's easy to tell lie from truth with him. It's all in those blue orbs of his. And the longer he has been staying with us, the more open he gets.

"Don't tell Donnie," he mumbles when I frown at him. "I don't want him to make me go to sleep or worse, take me to a hospital."

I sigh inwardly when I drag the boy away from the elevator him yelping because the sudden movement jarred his head. Good, I think sadistically. Maybe that'll teach him to stop saying stupid stuff. I place him on one of the chairs in the lobby of our apartment building and take a stance in front of him. He doesn't meet my eyes, his head dipped low like a scolded child.

"What am I being scolded for?" He asks me miserably and it almost makes me laugh at how infamous lectures have become among my brothers. I keep even the slightest smile of my face though. Mikey is good in changing the situation merely by changing the mood. Even the slightest indication of me being amused he'll grab onto, trying to get me to smile and forget why I was angry with him in the first place. Not that I'm ever really angry with him, often I'm just worried but that's one thing Mike can't deal with. People showing concern is almost something he seems to fear. Maybe that's why he likes to hang around Raph so much, Raph'll hardly let go of his tough-guy exterior.

"I'm not scolding you I just want to have a word," I finally say.

I small grin creeps onto Mikey's face. "That's practically the same, Leo."

Instead of replying I take the chair next to Mikey, putting my hands in my lap. When either one of us will speak of a situation in which Mikey has been harmed, it is important he can keep his eyes on our hands and feet. Plenty of times before he would freak-out over even the slightest movement, for example when Raph removed his hand from his pocket while Mikey told him about the abuse Casey caused him. Raph told me and Donnie what happened later on and together we have found out how to keep Mikey as comfortable as possible when he opens up. And even though that's a slow process, his life seems to be growing brighter every day.

"Tell me what happened out there Mikey," the younger boy's mouth opens in the way of a retort but I quickly stop him. "I know Raph can tell too but I want to hear it from you."

His lips snap back in line so fast it's almost comical. His eyebrows knit together for a moment before his face relaxes and moves sideways, locking his eyes with mine.

"Not much to tell you really. Did Raph say who they were?"

I only give him a nod. Raph told me it was Casey together with some PD members. He didn't know why Casey was out of juvie but the Purple Dragon kids he knew. At some point, when Raph and Casey were around sixteen or so, they joined the gang for a while together with the kids they used to play soccer against. And if I'm not mistaken, those boys were exactly the same as three years ago. I feel a light spark of anger within just to think of Raph's former friends beating him up. Of course things go differently on the streets, it's a matter of survival. But honour, loyalty, I've grown up with valuing them for as long as I can remember. But according to Raph that's the reason why they listen to Casey, he's always been the leader of their small gang.

"It was just Dim, Petey and George. I'm not sure where Alex has been but I guess he's quit the gang. He's never been one for the violence and all, he's a really good guy and-"

"Mikey," I interrupt him gently. Sometimes he can keep on rambling, not because he means to, just because he's nervous. "The story please."

"Right. Well, I can't tell you that much. Casey and the other guys found us on the soccer field. Raph was doing all the talking, being tough and all but they weren't impressed. Huh, of course they weren't it was four against two! Although I think we could've taken them on if they hadn't brought those baseball bats."

Doing my best to not jump up and shout directly into Mikey's face I ball my fists in my lap. "They threatened you with weapons?"

My voice is colder and harsher than I mean to but either it goes unnoticed by Mikey or he isn't troubled by it. He of all people knows how protective I am of the ones that matter to me. That doesn't mean though that he may shy away when someone displays aggression or anger in front of him.

"Well, they didn't really threaten us with them. They were just there. I'm not sure if they used them on Raph though. Casey came to me first, grabbing me by my jacket, yelling in my face. Man you should've smelt his breath, it was awful. Do you think they have toothpaste in juvie?"

He giggles at his own joke, his eyes sparkling and asking me to join him. But I don't. Not yet. The twins think it is better to let Mikey forget about everything that happened to him, to shelter him from that. I refuse though. Mikey is going to get better, one way or another, and the first lessons for him will be to start to trust us. To not only see us as friends but as allies, the ones he can lay his faith upon. To be his brothers maybe.

"How did you get hurt?" I eventually ask when I notice Mikey won't speak up. I point at the bandage around his head which is blotched with red specks. I need to keep this conversation as short as possible, I can see how tired Mikey is. But I know he won't talk to us when we're all there, he likes it more to keep it to one on one conversations so he doesn't feel crowded. I sigh softly. So many rules, so many precautions just for one boy. Not that I blame him, no far from that. I blame the ones who messed him up so bad, who hurt him physically and mentally for years on end, the ones who caused him to be this withdrawn youngster who could've been so much more. I hope he still can.

"Dim hit me with his bat," is the silent whisper. "I don't know what happened to Raph after that. I remember pain and blackness and yelling and then nothing."

I slowly raise my hand, clearly for Mikey to see, and ruffle his hair, putting him at ease. His shoulders relax slightly at the gesture and he softly leans the uninjured side of his head in my hand, a little like a cat would. I let him soak up the affection before standing up, offering him my hand. He takes it but stumbles when I pull him up. Without a warning I grab both of his arms and pull him up on my back. He yelps in surprise which quickly turns into laughter and a cheerful voice yelling something along the lines of: "Forward my loyal stallion!"

I take the stairs just to amuse Mikey a bit and have him flailing around. When I open the door we're both out of breath because of laughing. It slowly dies out though when our faces meet the serious and worried face of my youngest brother.

"Raph's ankle is broken," Donnie softly says before turning around to tend to Raphael again.

Mikey jumps of my back and almost falls to the ground because of another wave of dizziness I suppose. I steady him with one arm and guide him to the couch where Raph is deposited on. Large icepacks surround his ankle which, despite the compresses, keeps swelling.

He grimaces when he looks up at us and without a word Mikey comes to sit next to him. He nervously rubs his hands before placing his head on Raph's shoulder in a way of comfort. Neither of them says something but I can see the smile on my younger brother's face at the gesture.

I wrap my arm around Raph and I know all of them wait for my words of comfort, for me to do something. But I simply don't know. What can I say? What can I do? We have no money to go to the hospital it's simple as that. All our extra money is used to repay or debts and we can't take any more loans.

"We'll get your ankle plastered Raph, I promise. We can use some of the money. I'm sure we can make it with a bit less for a couple of months."

He sadly shakes his head though which makes Mikey look up as well.

"You don't understand Leo, the PD's didn't come to just beat us up. They want their money back and they want it now. The whole 4500 dollars. They want it at the end of the week."

**Ooooohhh a cliffhanger! And you'll have to deal with it a bit longer because I'm going on my holiday yay! And it's my birthday the weekend after my return. So whoever happens to be in the Hague the 22****nd**** of January, you're welcome to come and have some cake! :D**

**Oh and by the way, tell me what you think of the relationship between Mikey and Leo. I think it's a rather complicated one so if any of you find anything strange, please do not hesitate to point it out. **

**See ya!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey you guys here's the next chapter. And thanks for all the reviews for the last one, I really appreciate you all!**

**And just a small tip, do not buy the Sims 4 game, it's addictive and bad for the health 0.o I speak out of experience…**

**Chapter 9: help**

None of us feel like talking now. Raph refuses to let Leo take him to the hospital which led to them having another shouting-match which Donnie eventually ended when Raph tried to stand up with his bad leg. Now we're moping around in the living room, waiting for something to happen although I'm not really sure what it should be. How can we get out of this mess?

When Raph told us about the PD's wanting their money back, I was just as surprised as Leo and Donnie where. Dim had apparently knocked me out before Casey decided to tell us the actual reason as to why he was there in the first place. I sigh quietly. 4500 dollars. We can't even have an ankle plastered, how are we going to cough up all that money. We already have far too many loans, most of which are kinda illegal. We can't afford any more of those kind of deals. But if we don't pay them back…

A loud and obnoxious sound fills our living room when Raph's phone rings. I giggle slightly at his annoyed face directed my way as it was me who changed the ringtone. Heh, the dude should know what I did to his alarm clock.

Donnie hands Raph his phone and all three of us listen in intently. No one ever calls Raph, only dad used to do that. And Leo occasionally when he was worries and couldn't wait for Raph to text back. But he's here so that only leaves one option. Did the Dragons change their mind?

"Hello?"

I feel my heart skip a beat when Raph's face pales slightly. I hope, no I beg that it isn't who I think it is. If they find out where we live, we're toast. Wait, scratch that, now Casey's with them we're actually only a foot away from our graves. Okay maybe a bit of an exaggeration but that guy's planning something and it sends me on edge. I've learned the hard way that when my brother wants something, he'll get it his way no matter what.

Only when Raph's voice changes in pitch when he switches over to Japanese, I'm able to take another breath. Not the Purple Dragons. It makes me wonder though, why would Mr. Murakami call us? I know it's him, he's the only guy other than the guys that speaks Japanese in probably all of America. I try to follow the conversation to the best of my ability but it's hard. I haven't been raised bilingual like the Raph, Don and Leo and when I eventually was taken in by Master Splinter, he didn't think that learning another language was the most important thing for me to do. That doesn't mean Leo didn't try to teach me some, I just never had real lessons.

When Raph places his phone back on the table he puts his head into his hands. Leo and Donnie look worried as well, their faces furrowed into nervous looks.

"What did he say, Raph? And what did you say for that matter," I joke a bit, trying to get everyone to relax a little. A short laugh from Don and a smile from the two eldest brothers tells me I've succeeded.

"Murakami chewed me out over why I didn't bring back the motorcycle. I had promised him to get it back by noon but yeah, you know what happened."

I give him a confused glance. What did his motor do outside anyways? I haven't seen it. Suddenly realisation hits me and I feel my cheeks redden. What'd you think Mikey? I grumble to myself. You had a twenty minute head-start. As if Raph could've found you in time if he had just walked.

"Where'd you leave it?" Donnie asks next. Obviously he's well informed on Raph taking his bike to look for me. _He looked for me_. If it wasn't for me and my stupid, careless, impulsive, immature decisions he wouldn't be hurt right now or in trouble with Mr. Murakami. It's all my fault. Again. Not to mention the money-problems and the fact that the PD's want their cash back right now. If it wasn't for Casey hating me they wouldn't have to deal with this all. I ball my fists on top of my knees, trying to relax despite the humiliation, guilt and anger coursing through me.

"Close to the mall. Didn't want him to see it," Raph says with a grin, jerking his thumb towards me. "You were a little late to realise, weren't ya Mike?"

I'm not in the mood to laugh along but I do it anyways. He deserves to make fun of me. It's because of me he's broken his ankle after all. And for some reason it relaxes me nevertheless. They don't blame me, I know they don't. And I have to trust them on that.

"That's alright, I'll pick it up and walk it back to the garage," Leo says, readying himself to stand up. But when he's halfway through the living room, jacket in hand, there's a knock on the door. He opens it carefully and immediately a brown dog bashes through, a man following him in.

I feel my eyes widen when I see Mr. Murakami standing in front of us, my friends not looking any less surprised. He walks towards the couch steadily, following his dog which he has on a leash.

"Raphael," the blind man says without looking at anyone in particular but knowing the boy he just addressed is there. I find it kinda creepy how he knows but I guess he has inhuman senses or something, now that he can't see anymore. According to Leo he might be able to sense aura's but I think he's the only one who even believes those exist.

"What is wrong, you do not act like yourselves at all. And you, Raphael, why did you lie to me on the telephone? I could hear it."

Me and Donnie burst out into laughter when Raph's face turns redder than that of a tomato but when Leo sends me a glare I shut up.

"I'm sorry Murakami-san," Leo apologises for Raph. "We are in a tough situation which is why the motorcycle wasn't in the garage on time."

Nothing changes in the facial expressions of the blind man but his posture seems more relaxed. It is impossible to read the guy, not because he's blind but because he just doesn't like to show his emotions.

"And what may this situation be?"

Again it's Leo who answers and tells the whole story honestly now we know it is no use to lie to this man. He listens intently to what Leonardo tells him and because it's easier for Mr. Murakami, it's explained in Japanese again. I try to understand what they're saying but it goes too fast and Leonardo speaks too fluently, slipping into an accent that is unfamiliar to me.

I glance around the room for a little while, trying to get my mind of the extreme headache I'm having now. Donnie stopped listening to the story as well and is now fully absorbed by the brown guide-dog of Mr. Murakami. Her name's Lucy and except for Mr. Murakami, Donnie's the only one she shows affection towards. Not that she isn't friendly, she just doesn't like to be petted by anyone else but those two. I supress an 'awww' when the Labrador puts a paw onto Donnie's lap, clearly relishing the scratching of her ears and neck.

Suddenly I'm pulled back towards the real world when our blind guest stands up and whistles for Lucy to come over. "No problem at all, Leonardo," he says, this time in English. I can see the nervous look on the eldest brother's face and I know he isn't entirely happy with Mr. Murakami's idea.

"I want all of you inside your car immediately. We will go to the hospital and have Raphael's leg plastered as well as having a doctor take a look at Michael's concussion."

The offer blows me off my feet and surprises me so much I forget to correct him because of my name. Only him and Master Splinter call me Michael although I'm pretty sure that mom has named me nothing more than Mikey. Of course I don't _really_ know as there isn't a birth certificate or ID which I know of but still. My name's Mikey, that's all.

"What do you mean Mr. Murakami, we don't have the money," I reply, just to clarify that this is real.

"That's why I pay for it, boy, now get in the car. I can almost _hear_ Raphael's ankle swelling."

I giggle at that and Donnie laughs too. Only Leo still doesn't look relieved in any way and I think I know why. He's going into guilt-mode again, thinking it's his fault that he cannot solve every problem in the world. The dude should learn how to relax and let other people help him a bit for a change. Not that I don't get the way he feels. It's hard to know and also admit to yourself that sometimes you need to let go of the power you have and trust it to someone else to catch you when you fall down. But I'm sure even Leo knows that this offer is too good to refuse. Not that Mr. Murakami will even let us refuse.

Within minutes we're all inside the car, Leo driving with Mr. Murakami sitting next to him. I'm in the backseat with Raph's leg stretched over both me and Donnie's laps. Lucy's restlessly sitting in the back trunk, squeezed into a sitting position because of the tight space. Poor dog.

I lay my head against the cool glass and finally there is a little relief from the constant pounding against the inside of my head. I slowly drift off, not minding it at all as I know the hospital is still a good one hour drive. I wonder about Mr. Murakami and him stepping up to help us so sudden. Except from Raph he doesn't know us that well and still he's prepared to pay our medical bills while we fully well know he doesn't have all the money of the world either. It makes me think of Master Splinter, how he took me in without a second of doubt, while he didn't know me at all.

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_After Casey had beaten me up badly in that alley, I felt very woozy and I wasn't very sure of what had happened. He banged my head against the wall a few times, that I was sure of or my head wouldn't have hurt that bad. Still I couldn't quite remember where I was or what was happening. I moved but I didn't know how. And there was someone there but I didn't know who. Richie stayed with me the whole time though but that was also very distracting as to what happened. Everything was so blurry and because of the blinding pain I couldn't think straight. That was, until someone helped me._

"How do you feel, young one?"

I'm afraid. The pain isn't gone and something doesn't feel quite right. Someone is speaking to me and it isn't a voice I have heard before. Does mom have another man in our house again? No it can't be, they never speak to me other than chasing me out of the house if they want more privacy. The voice sounds nice though, very soft and from somewhere I smell tea.

"Will you open your eyes for me, boy?"

I obey, not because I feel like I have to, but because I'm curious of who the person is that speaks to me so kindly.

I am in a small bedroom but it looks different from others I've seen. There are rugs against the walls instead of on the floor where they should be and they have weird drawings on them, some of animals, others of plants. I'm lying on a soft bed which doesn't have a pillow. Red sheets cover my body and I'm glad for them because I feel a bit cold even though a few hours ago I walked outside dressed like this. When I look besides me there is an old, wooden, bedside table with pictures placed on it. I immediately recognize Donnie and his twin, from when they were younger. The older boy must be Leonardo.

I glance up towards an adult man who is watching me with gentle eyes. He has a black goatee which starts to become grey at the tip. His hair is bound back with a ponytail but it doesn't look girly at all. He reminds me of the kick-ass secret agents from the movies. The ones that work for the mafia. But this man doesn't look evil, he seems really nice. And judging from the pictures, he must be Donnie's dad.

"Donatello is fetching you something to drink along with the pills I'm about to give you," the man explains in a soft voice. "Your head must hurt, doesn't it?"

I nod but don't feel like speaking yet. He sure looks friendly but I've never dealt with a ninja-master before. Donnie's told me a lot about his father and how he has a dojo. It sounds really cool but I don't want to think about what this man could all do to me. It'll probably hurt a lot more than my mother's hits when she's drunk.

"I was afraid of that. It is very important you leave those bandages on for a while, I would not want for your wound to get infected."

My hand immediately flies to the back of my head to feel the cloth over where my head hurts the most. I've bled? Then Casey must've pushed me really hard because he always complains how I'm so hard-headed.

Donnie comes in, a glass of water in his hand and his face lights up when he looks at me. It's strangely comforting to see that smile because I know he's happy to see me awake. I can't help but smile back at that.

"I'm glad you're awake Mikey. You sure looked bad just a minute ago. If you didn't wake up soon dad wanted to take you to the hospital."

I glance back towards the father of my best friend. He wanted to do that for me? He hadn't even met me before. On the other hand he has also bandaged my head and looked after me. He even gave me his bed. I wonder what he wants from me.

"I- uhm, no need for that sir, I already feel much better."

Again he smiles warmly at me, carefully placing his hand on my shoulder. I shiver a bit but relax when I feel nothing but a soft hand touching my skin. It feels nice, comforting.

"I am glad to hear that. However, I think it might be better if I bring you home now. Your parents must be worried about you and I do not want you to venture the streets alone when being concussed."

Donnie sees my panicked face. He doesn't know anything but that I don't like to be home and that Casey's not always nice to me. I think he suspects stuff though. He tries to talk to me about it when we walk home from school. At some point I thought it might be better to not meet him anymore because the prying makes me nervous. But the thought of never seeing my friend again, that hurts more than I imagined. He's a good friend and my first one too. And I don't want to lose that.

"That's alright, I'll go myself. It's no big deal, really!"

I manage to keep my voice from shaking and I'm pretty sure he'll fall for it. At home everyone believes my lies as well, without a doubt. And the teachers at school are even easier to lie to. The ninja-master stands up though.

"I do not think that would be wise."

But before he can say anything else Donnie pulls him towards the hallway, sending me an apologetic smile before closing the door behind him.

I feel my eyes burning but I refuse to cry. I never cry. The stupid concussion is probably messing with my head. I slightly wonder where Richie is, I want him here right now. He was there when Casey beat me up and kept talking to me even though I think I was unconscious eventually. Why isn't he here now? I'm scared. What if they throw me out because I didn't listen? What if Donnie doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore? I mess up everything he must've noticed that by now. It would make sense for him to get rid of me. I'm not family after all. Only family is forced to let you stay.

After a few moments the door opens again and involuntarily I flinch at the sound.

"I have spoken with my son and according to him it might be better for you to stay here with the concussion you support. You know, Donatello might be young but he is an excellent pupil and wants to become a doctor later. He knows more of your condition than I do. But what do you think, young one?"

I stare at both him and Donnie for a long time, unable to keep my jaw from dropping. They want me to stay? They really offered me to stay in their home?

"Of course if you want to stay, we should immediately inform a parental figure and Donatello has offered to bring you home tomorrow or the day after. That depends on how well you recover during the night."

I finally manage to get some words out, even though they're a bit quiet and shaky. "I-I wouldn't want to be a in the way, sir. You obviously have better things to do and-"

"Hush," the man interrupts me. "I would not leave a boy to his own devices when he needs help. Especially not a friend of my own son. We have a spare mattress for guests and I am sure Donatello wouldn't mind sharing his room with you as his older brothers share one as well."

He walks over to me and I keep looking at his face for the slightest hint of him not meaning what he says. The only thing I find is sincerity and warmth. I remember auntie Amy telling us about God's angels when we were little. They would be kind and full of light and warmth and bring you nothing but happiness and goodness. Maybe he's an angel in disguise because I've never felt so happy before as I do now.

When Donnie helps me to swallow the pills he whispers in my ear: "I told you my dad was awesome." I eagerly nod and give him a flashing grin. When I've taken the pills Donnie's father stands up and tells us he will leave us alone so we can entertain ourselves a bit. He does however, warn me to not overexert myself and if I have a headache I should lie down immediately. I promise of course, no reason to disobey a ninja-master. Especially when he's done all this for you.

"Uhm, sir, may I ask you something?"

I'm not sure if it is because I feel so immensely happy, or maybe because I feel truly accepted and liked by these people. But something causes me to be brave enough to ask this.

"What is your name?" I ask when the man inclines his head as a sign he is listening.

A soft chuckle vibrates through the room, putting me at ease like a lullaby.

"My name is Hamato Yoshi, but my students and sons also call me Master Splinter."

I look up at him and offer him one of my brightest smiles. "It is nice to meet you, Master Splinter. I'm Mikey."

Another chuckle, probably because I only give him my first name but still he doesn't ask further.

"And I am delighted to meet you too, child."

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"We're here guys," Leo says, watching us from the rear-view mirror. I open my eyes and look at the tall, black and red building outside. The parking lot is filled, as usual, and an ambulance just rushes inside the garage, probably with an emergency-case in the back. I don't like hospitals, you never go here for something good. Unless you're having a baby I guess but I've never seen a happy labour before either. I'm sure there are though. On television you see enough of those close families with loving mothers and little, naughty children whom are adored by their parents. I know because it was the way Master Splinter would look at his own sons. Their birth must've been the best day of the their father's life. Their mother, well she's different anyways. According to Don though, Master Splinter would also look at me like he saw them. And the day he met me was, according to Leo, a moment he treasured. I don't believe them though. Even if Master Splinter himself would tell me that I wouldn't believe it.

I shrug my head and get out of the car. I stumble a bit but Mr. Murakami is there to steady me. And for a moment, when I look up into his eyes, I see traces of Master Splinter reflect into them. Just with that look, my headache has diminished already. And I wonder, very briefly, if maybe more angels are roaming our planet.

**Hmmm don't like the ending but damn, I'm tired. This chapter took me like forever! Three days! Three frikkin' days so you better appreciate it or else… Neh just kidding. But seriously, often I write a chap in like, three hours at the most, if it's a long chapter. This one just didn't want to come **

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed it all and see ya all later!**


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